NFL Combine: Navy’s Malcolm Perry meets expectations in wide receiver group

We all knew Malcolm Perry was fast. We all knew he was often the most athletic players on the field at any given time during the 2019 football season. However, we didn’t know exactly how he would match up next to the future stars of the NFL.

When you watch the NFL Combine, maintaining perspective is always one of the hardest things to do. Year after year, young men are judged by viewers across the country on their “slow” 40-yard dash times of...4.8 seconds. These athletes are criticized for their mere 27 inch vertical jump. Bench pressing 225 pounds only 15 times is a disappointment and considered weak. Yet, less than one percent of men in their twenties can meet any of these metrics. I always say, if you want to win an easy $50 bet, all you need to do is go to your local sports bar and bet someone they can’t run under a 5.0 second 40-yard dash.

Navy’s former quarterback, Malcolm Perry, who was invited the the NFL Combine as a wide receiver, performed pretty much right up to expectations. Compared to the rest of the wideouts at the combine, Perry was below average in some areas, yet above average in others. Ultimately, we must remember, he hasn’t even been a receiver for two months...two months!

40-yard Dash

Perry ran a 4.63 second 40-yard dash, which put him towards the bottom of the receiving corps. But remember, he’s only 5-foot-9, and every other wideout at the combine has longer legs than him. Additionally, these are the very best athletes in this year’s draft class.

Vertical Jump

The vertical jump is almost solely used as a metric of athleticism because a 6-foot-3 receiver who jumps 30 inches can catch a ball higher than than the 5-foot-10 cornerback covering him who can jump 33 inches. Regardless, Perry jumped 36 inches, which put him in the middle of his peers.

Broad Jump

With a 122 inch broad jump, Perry fell towards the bottom half of the middle of the pack. He was still well within the ballpark of the other players in his group.

3 Cone Drill and 20-yard Shuttle

Lastly, Perry shined exactly where we thought he would. Dodging defenders and breaking ankles were an every week occurrence while he was playing for Navy. Perry’s quickness, agility, and ability to change of direction led to numerous 30+ yard runs as a Midshipmen. He ran his 3 cone drill in 7.12 seconds and 20-yard shuttle in 4.31 seconds. Both times put him close to the top of the wide receiver group.

During the actually wide receiver drills, Perry’s improved catching and route running were on display. Here, he re-affirmed many scouts’ confidence that he wouldn’t have any issues in the basics of being a receiver, despite only recently transitioning to the position.

Malcolm Perry won’t be running by safeties on a deep post anytime soon. However, if an NFL team can find a way to get him the ball in open space, we may see some exciting plays by Perry on Sundays.